Dokument #1110624

IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Information on the documentation required by a Pakistani consular office in order to issue a three-month passport and a five-year passport; and on the documentation required by the applicant to prove his religious affiliation [PAK20117.E]

The following information was provided in a
29 March 1995 telephone interview with an official of the High
Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in Ottawa. This
information was subsequently corroborated and clarified with
comments by the First Secretary of the Pakistani High Commission of
Ottawa, in a letter dated 20 April 1995, which was faxed to the
DIRB. Any additional clarifying comments from the First Secretary
has been so indicated.

Both sources stated that the regular
Pakistani passport is valid for five years (29 Mar. 1995; 20 Apr.
1995). In order to obtain a five-year Pakistani passport, the
applicant must provide the Pakistani consular office with his/her
old Pakistani passport and his/her Pakistani national ID card
(ibid.). The First Secretary stated that if the applicant does not
present his/her passport application form to the Pakistani consular
office in person, an attestation from the president of the
applicant's Pakistan-Canadian Association, stating that s/he knows
the applicant, must also be provided to the consular office (20
Apr. 1995).

Both sources stated that if the applicant
has lost his/her old Pakistani passport, s/he must provide the
consular office with the police report on the loss. The consular
office must also contact the issuing office in Pakistan that issued
the applicant's original passport. Once confirmation of the
original passport is obtained, the consular office in Canada will
issue the applicant with a new passport (29 Mar. 1995; 20 Apr.
1995). The First Secretary stated that the consular office will
also check the applicant's status in Canada by checking his/her
immigration documents (20 Apr. 1995). He added that the new
passport is issued only for the period the lost passport remains
valid (ibid.).

Both sources stated that a three-month
passport is only issued to an applicant who has lost his/her
original Pakistani passport when an emergency necessitates the
applicant's presence in Pakistan; otherwise, s/he would be issued a
normal Pakistani passport, which the First Secretary stated would
be valid for the remaining period the lost passport remains valid
(20 Apr. 1995). According to both sources, the applicant must,
however, provide the Pakistani consular office with proof of the
emergency (29 Mar. 1995; 20 Apr. 1995). In order to obtain a
three-month Pakistani passport, both sources stated that the
applicant must provide the Pakistani consular office with his/her
Pakistani national ID card. The First Secretary stated that if the
applicant does not present his/her passport application form to the
Pakistani consular office in person, an attestation from the
president of the applicant's Pakistan-Canadian Association, stating
that s/he knows the applicant, must also be provided to the
consular office (20 Apr. 1995). Furthermore, according to the First
Secretary, if, because of the emergency, the usual confirmation of
the original passport from the issuing office is not received by
the Pakistani consular office, the applicant must present other
documentation, such as education certificates or a birth
certificate (ibid.).

The First Secretary stated that the
applicant "does not have to provide documentary proof of his/her
religious affiliation prior to being issued with a Pakistani
passport" (20 Apr. 1995).

According to the First Secretary, usually
the expired passport sufficiently verifies the information provided
to the Pakistani consular office by the applicant. "If there is a
change in status such as profession, name (in the case of married
lady), address, etc. further proofs are requested" (20 Apr. 1995).
The First Secretary did not specify the documentation which would
be required as further proof.

A copy of a Pakistani passport application
form is attached to Response to Information Request PAK20118.E of
18 March 1995.

For information on the procedures to obtain
a Pakistani passport in Canada, please refer to Response to
Information Request PAK19144.E of 15 December 1994. Information on
obtaining a Pakistani passport in Pakistan can be found in Response
to Information Request PAK19170.E of 16 December 1994. Both these
Responses are available at Regional Documentation Centres.

This response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

High Commission for the Islamic Republic
of Pakistan, Ottawa. 20 April 1995. Letter containing comments to
the DIRB's letter of 30 March 1995, faxed to the DIRB by the First
Secretary.

_____. 29 March 1995. Telephone
interview with official.

ecoi.net-Zusammenfassung:

Information on the documentation required by a Pakistani consular office in order to issue a three-month passport and a five-year passport; and on the documentation required by the applicant to prove his religious affiliation [PAK20117.E]